Data, Structure, Structured Data Management System, Structured Data Management Method and Structured Data Management Program

ABSTRACT

It is possible to easily process updates of structured data without excessive burden on servers, clients and the network to connect them. 
     It provides the means for dividing structured data stored on a server into at least data management information and data information, composing said data information from several data body information and assigning unique identifiers to them, allowing a client to request updates of data body information based on the identifiers, and allowing the server to attach predefined tags to the text within the data body information and send it upon said request.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a technique for updating structured datastored on a server operating with a general-purpose operating systemsuch as a web server by a client connected through a network such as theInternet. Specifically, it relates to a data structure of a wide varietyof information written in XML (extensible Markup Language), and astructured data management system, a structured data management methodand a structured data management program for managing the datastructure.

BACKGROUND ART

A conventional way of updating structured data on a server by a clientconnected to the server through a network has generally been as follows:

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of updating the database of web server100 by client 200. The data written in XML (hereinafter referred to as“XML data”) here are stored on server 100 as a database. The process ofupdating the XML data on server 100 involves downloading the XML datafrom server 100 by client 200, modifying the downloaded XML data with aspecific input tool, and uploading the modified data to the server asXML data.

FIG. 13 is an example of a view of the input tool used when client 200updates XML data. In FIG. 13, a hierarchical structure of downloaded XMLdata is displayed on the left of the window, and the contents aredisplayed on the right. As shown in FIG. 13, the XML data downloaded bythe client from server 100 are data management information such as anXML declaration (<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“Shift=JIS”?>) and databody information that is a document body (data following after <doctoc=“true” cover=“false”>), which are all the data including XML tagsstored on server 100. That is to say, even though it is the data bodyinformation the client wants to update, the data cannot be updated onclient 200 until all the information including tags attached to databody information and data management information are downloaded. In thisway, it is required for updates to store all the XML data on the memoryof client 200, modify a part of data body information to update onclient 200, and then upload all the XML data back to server 100 again.

In the process of updating XML data, a user modifies parts of data toupdate while viewing tags and the data displayed on the right of thewindow. However, types of tags defined in XML are decided by a documenttype definition. And, a document type definition allows a user to extendfreely a set of the rules, which causes a problem that it is not easyfor a person unfamiliar with XML to share the data created by others andupdate them while inputting tags. Also, there is a problem that sendingand receiving of all the XML data becomes an excessive burden onservers, clients and networks.

Specifically, in the case of structuring a wide variety and enormousamount of data such as administrative documents/information with XML andmanaging them, there are problems as follows: (1) the number of types oftags necessary for document management information (XML declaration,document type definition, namespace and so on) is exceedingly increased,and (2) if a person (user) who manages/updates administrative documentsdoes not have technical knowledge of computers and program languages,first, data incompatible with the structured data on a server may becreated, and secondly, due to an excessive burden on a server, a client,and a network, an update process can consume a lot of time.

Non-patent document 1: Cho nyumon XML (Super introduction to XML),Hiroaki OKUBO, published by Subarusya corporation, page 209.

There is a patent document of a preceding patent application, which ismentioned below, disclosing a technique of enabling to update XML datastored on a server in a short time. The technique disclosed in thepatent document is such that when a client wishes to update XML data ona server, the client sends the server location data indicating thelocation of XML data to update, identification data indicating an updatetype and values indicating elements to add or elements after updates (anupdate command including data), and then the server updates the XML dataaccording to the update command sent from the client.

However, even with the technique, the data to be displayed are XML datathemselves (FIG. 7, FIG. 8 in Japanese patent application publicationNo. 2002-123418) as the technique in the aforementioned non-patentdocument, because of which it is not easy for a user with littleknowledge about XML to update documents. In addition, the techniquedisclosed in the patent document is for a defining XML data format suchas to manage an organization, its departments and names of peoplebelonging to the organization as a database, so it is assumed for theupdates within the range of definition. For example, it is intended toupdate XML data in the form of job cards (FIG. 12, FIG. 13 in Japanesepatent application publication No. 2002-123418), such as updatingYamamoto, Taro among “<employee> Yamamoto, Taro <employee>”. Therefore,there is a problem that it is not easy for people having no technicalknowledge about computer program languages such as XML, for example, toshare and update a wide variety and enormous amount of administrativedocuments managed by a municipality.

Patent document 2: Japanese patent application publication No.2002-123418

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

Therefore, the present invention has an object to provide a datastructure, a data management system, a data management method and a datamanagement program, making update processes easy for a person with notechnical knowledge about computer program languages such as XML withoutconcern for structured data on a server, as well as without excessiveburden on a server, a client and the network to connect them whenmanaging and updating structured data, particularly a wide variety ofdocuments.

Means for Solving the Problems

Specific aspects of the present invention to achieve the object will bedescribed below.

The first aspect of the present invention is a data structure of datastored on a server and updated by a client connected to the serverthrough a network, in which the data structure is hierarchized into atleast data management information and data information, both attachedwith unique identifiers, the data information is further hierarchizedinto at least a plurality of blocks attached with unique identifiers,and the each of the blocks includes data body information written in alanguage displayable by a web browser.

It is preferable that the data structure is written in XML. Also, it ispreferable that the data body information is written in XTML or XHTML.

It is preferable that the data information is hierarchized into at leasta plurality of sections attached with unique identifiers, and the blocksare arranged under the respective sections.

The data structure mentioned above enables to directly specify data thata client wants to update within data stored on a server. Then thespecified data to update are divided into sections and included inrespective blocks under the sections as data body information written ina language displayable by a web browser, which enables quick and easydata updates between the server and the client.

The second aspect of the invention is a structured data managementsystem including a server having hierarchically structured data, and aclient connecting to the server through a network and updating thestructured data on the server, in which the structured data arehierarchized into at least data management information and datainformation, the data information includes a plurality of data bodyinformation pieces each of which is attached with a unique identifier,the client has means for making a request to update a data bodyinformation piece based on the unique identifier, the server has meansfor, in response to the request, sending a text within the data bodyinformation piece and predefined tags attached to the text, and theclient has means for receiving the text with the predefined tags sentfrom the server (hereinafter referred to as “sent-tagged text”),displaying the text and accepting updates, and means for, when the textis updated, sending data of the text attached with the predefined tags(hereinafter referred to as “received-tagged text”).

The data management information is necessary to manage data stored on aserver, such as information identifying clients, information specifyingdata to update, and data creator and creation date. Data information isthe root node of data body information comprising plural data bodyinformation pieces. A unique identifier is only one definedidentification number used by a client to specify data on the server,and which attached to data information under the data structure asabove, enables the client to easily specify the node where the data toupdate exist.

In the present invention, the client has means for requesting updates ofdata body information based on the identifiers, and the server has meansfor attaching predefined tags to the text within the data bodyinformation and sending it upon the request.

Data body information includes the (body) text of data stored on aserver, and the text is data including tags remained after removing tagsof the current node from the data body information and it is the text ofa document. Predefined tags are minimum tags required to update the texton a client when the server sends the text to the client.

The client has means for receiving the text that is attached with thepredefined tags and sent from the server (hereinafter referred to as“sent-tagged text”), displaying the text and accepting updates, andmeans for, when the text is updated, attaching predefined tags to thetext and sending the tagged text to the server (hereinafter referred toas “received-tagged text”).

This configuration enables to achieve data updates between a server anda client through attaching minimum tags to data to update, and alsoenables easy data updates even for a person with little technicalknowledge about structured data written in XML.

The server further has means for, upon request from the client to updatea plurality of data body information pieces based on the identifiers,combining texts within the data body information pieces into one taggedtext and sending it to the client.

When the plurality of data body information pieces is specified by theclient, the server sends respective texts as one text. In this way, theclient can view and update the plural texts in a single operation.

It is preferable that the structured data stored on the server are datawritten in XML, and additionally, the server has means for determiningthe compatibility of the received-tagged text sent from the client withits stored structured data, and further means for, if not compatible,notifying the client of incompatibility or, if compatible, updating thedata body information by the received-tagged text.

The invention enables a person with little knowledge of XML to update adocument displayed on a client computer as if using a word processor,and also to update a document without concerning the XML data structureof a server.

The third aspect of the invention is a structured data management methodin a system where a server having structured data and a client updatingthe structured data on the server are interconnected through a network,comprising:

hierarchizing the structured data into at least data managementinformation and data information;

dividing the data information into a plurality of data body informationpieces and assigning each of the data body information pieces with aunique identifier;

allowing the client to make a request to update a data body informationpiece based on the unique identifier,

allowing the server, upon receiving the request, to send a text withinthe data body information piece with predefined tags attached to thetext;

allowing the client to receive the text attached with the predefinedtags sent from the server (hereinafter referred to as “sent-taggedtext”), display the text within the sent-tagged text on a display deviceand accept updates, and when the text is updated, to send data of thetext updated with the predefined tags to the server (hereinafterreferred to as “received-tagged text”); and

allowing the server to update the data body information piece by thereceived-tagged text.

The server, when updating its data by the updated and received taggedtext, determines the compatibility of the received-tagged text with itsstructured data, and if not, notify the client of it, or if compatible,update them. If the request from the client is for updates of aplurality of data body information pieces, the server combines textswithin the data body information pieces into one text and sends it as asent-tagged text.

The structured data management method enables to achieve data updatesbetween a server and a client in the form of attaching minimum tags todata to update, and also enables easy data updates for a person withlittle technical knowledge about structured data as represented by datawritten in XML.

The fourth aspect of the invention is a program allowing a server formanaging hierarchical structured data to function as means forhierarchizing the structured data stored on the server into at leastdata management information and data information, means for assigning aunique identifiers to each of data body information pieces composing thedata information, means for accepting a request from a clientinterconnected through a network to update a data body information piecebased on the unique identifier, and means for attaching predefined tagsto a text within the data body information piece and sending it to theclient on the request for updates.

Further, the program allows a client interconnected with the serverthrough the network to function as means for receiving the text attachedwith the predefined tags and sent from the server (hereinafter referredto as “sent-tagged text”), means for receiving the sent-tagged text,displaying the text within the sent-tagged text and accepting updates,and means for sending the text updated and attached with predefined tagsto the server (hereinafter referred to as “received-tagged text”).

Furthermore, the program allows the server to function as means for,upon request from the client to update the plurality of data bodyinformation pieces based on respective identifiers, combining textswithin the data body information pieces into one text, and sending it tothe client as a sent-tagged text. Also, the program allows the server tofunction as means for receiving a (received-)tagged text and determiningthe compatibility of the received-tagged text with its stored structureddata, and means for, if not compatible, notifying the client ofincompatibility or, if compatible, updating the data body information bythe received-tagged text.

This program enables to achieve data updates between a server and aclient in the form of attaching minimum tags to data to update, and alsoenables easy data updates for a person with little technical knowledgeabout structured data as represented by data written in XML.

Effect of the Invention

The invention enables to easily select data to update among structureddata stored on a server and to minimize a data volume sent and receivedbetween the server and a client, for which there is no excessive burdenon the server, the client and the network. Additionally, there is noneed to care about structured data, for which it provides an advantagethat even a person with little technical knowledge about computers andprogramming languages can easily and appropriately update data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an entire system configuration diagram illustrating thestructured data management system of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a specific system block diagram of server 10 (according to anembodiment);

FIG. 3 illustrates details of the data structure of XML data 16 onserver 10;

FIG. 4 illustrates the XML data structure of server 10 (according to theembodiment);

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of XML data on server 10 (according to theembodiment);

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a view of XML data in FIG. 5 displayedon client 20 (according to the embodiment);

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a view of the tagged document, whichsent from the server and displayed on display unit 23 of client 20(according to the embodiment);

FIG. 8 shows each example of a sent-tagged text and a received-taggedtext (according to the embodiment);

FIG. 9 illustrates the block configuration of client 20 (according tothe embodiment);

FIG. 10 illustrates the way of XHTML conversion to display twosent-tagged texts on a web browser (according to the embodiment);

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of updating the XML data on server 10 by client20;

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of updating the database of web server100 by client 200; and

FIG. 13 is an example of a view of the input tool used when client 200updates XML data.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   10: server-   11: sending/receiving means-   12: data for updates-   13: updated data-   14: update data extracting/storing/structuring means-   15: compatibility checking means-   16: storage device-   16-1 to n: XML data-   20: client-   21: display/input means-   22: sending/receiving means-   23: display unit-   30: network

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Term definitions

The definitions of the terms used in the description are as follows.

Data management information: information for identifying clients,information for identifying data to be updated, and information formanaging server data such as a data creator and a creation date. Thiscorresponds to “pr:content” in the embodiment of FIG. 4.

Data information: data under the root node and including plural piecesof data body information. This corresponds to “pr:data” in theembodiment FIG. 4.

Data body information: text of data to be updated and equivalent ofchild nodes of data information. This corresponds to “pr:section” and“%block” in the embodiment FIG. 4.

Unique identifier: identification number to be uniquely decided and usedwhen a client specifies server data.

Text within data body information: data remained after tags are removedfrom data body information.

Embodiment 1

FIG. 1 is an entire system configuration diagram illustrating astructured data management system 1 of an embodiment of the presentinvention. Client 20 is connected to server 10, by a network such as theInternet 30. Server 10 has structured data, for example, XML data 16-1to XML data 16-n as multiple file groups in storage device 16. Each ofthe XML data has a unique identifier as an attribute value. In thisembodiment, data transferring means between client 20 and server 10 is,for example, HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), the data descriptionlanguage is XML (Extensible Markup Language), and server 10 is a webserver.

A person updating the XML data on server 10 (hereinafter called a user)can login to server 10 via client 20, and browse the XML data on server10 as if they were web pages. The user can specify which XML data toupdate on server 10 after logining and inputting of a unique identifierassigned to each XML data by the display/input means 21.

When client 20 specifies XML data, server 10 extracts the specified XMLdata as data for updates 12 from storage device 16 by update dataextracting/storing/structuring means 14. Data for updates 12 areattached with minimum tags that allow data for updates 12 to bedisplayed and updated on client 20, and sent to client 20 bysending/receiving means 11 (hereinafter referred to as “sent-taggedtext”).

Client 20 displays a text within the sent-tagged text sent from server10 on display unit 23 by a web browser. The text is updated bydisplay/input means 21. The modified and updated text is attached withminimum tags necessary for updates on server 10, which is sent to server10 (hereinafter referred to as “received-tagged text”) bysending/receiving means 22.

Update data extracting/storing/structuring means 14 of server 10converts the received-tagged text into XML data as updated data 13.Compatibility checking means 15 checks whether a data structure ofupdated data 13 is compatible with the XML data structure of storagedevice 16 or not. If compatible, server 10 updates the XML data instorage device 16, and if not, server 10 notifies client 20 of theincompatibility.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the system configurationof server 10. When XML data to be updated such as XML data 16-1 arespecified on client 20, update data extracting means (Java (registeredtrademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Program) starts and then extractsXML data 16-1 as described below. FIG. 3 illustrates the details of thedata structure of XML data 16-1 to 16-n on server 10. As shown in FIG.3, each text written in HTML or XHTML is structured to be included as “%BLOCK” in pr:section.

FIG. 4 illustrates a hierarchical structure of XML data 16 on server 10.The XML data have “pr:content” (also simply referred to as “content”) asthe root node, and also have “pr:property” (also simply referred to as“property”) and “pr:data” (also simply referred to as “data”) as thechild nodes under “pr:content”. The series of “property” are fordescribing data management information, and have “pr:keyword” and“pr:description” under “property” as in the hierarchical structure.

The series of “data” are the ones for describing data information, andhave independently defined plural “sections” as the child nodes under“data” when “data” is the current node. Under each “section”, DTDcontrolled by a namespace (http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml) is implemented,and “% Block” referring to part of XHTML content model as a parameterentity is deployed as a descendent node. The elements in “content” areexpressed without namespace prefixes(xmlns=http://www.w3.org/1999.xhtml).

Each “section” is provided with a unique ID (identifier) as an attributevalue. “Content” is also provided with a unique ID because storagedevice 16 stores multiple XML data. Due to these IDs, a user can specifywhich “section” has the desired text among multiple XML data on theserver. It is preferable to specify a namespace in data managementinformation as a way of providing unique IDs. “% Block” under “section”is an entity defined by HTML or XHTML, and linked to the text includedin a “section” node as the entity reference.

In FIG. 2, XML data 16-1 specified by client 20 is once converted toJava (registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Object 17 byupdate data extracting/storing/structuring means 14. In the embodiment,update data extracting/storing/structuring means 14 is composed of Java(registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Program, Java(registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Class Library, CSS(Cascading Style Sheet) and XSL (extensible Stylesheet Language).

Java (registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Object 17 isconverted to a sent-tagged text by update dataextracting/storing/structuring means 14, and sent to client 20 bysending/receiving means 11. The sent-tagged text here is a text attachedwith minimum tags that enable the text within the sent-tagged text to bedisplayed by a general web browser with relation to Java (registeredtrademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Script sent at the same time withthe sent-tagged text to client 20 from server 10, and also enable theuser to modify the text on client 20.

FIG. 5 is an example of a described content of XML data 16-1 to 16-n onserver 10. FIG. 6 is an example of a view displayed on client 20 whenXML data 16-1, for example, are sent from server 10 to client 20.

The way for client 20 to retrieve XML data 16-1 is to inputid=37310217649 of pr:content id, id=1 of section 1 id, and id=2 ofsection 2 id as shown in FIG. 5. These enable to display the texts fromTitle=

(“Why are two style languages recommended?”),

(“Which one should be used? Basically, rules can be summarized likethis.”) to “CSS

(“CSS can create some texts, but limited to small matters. For example,number.”) of the text of % Block under section 1, and from

?” (“Then, how to use each of them according to the situation?”) to “CSSstyle sheet

(“All needed is to provide CSS.”) by specified of section id=2 in FIG. 5on the screen of the display unit of client 20 as shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 is an example of a view displayed on display unit 23 when a userspecifies id=37310217649 of pr:content and section id=2 on client 20.

FIG. 8 (a) is an example of the sent-tagged text sent from server 10 toclient 20 to display the view. The text attached with some tags, such as“pr:section id=2 is title visible=true” shown in FIG. 8 (a), is sentfrom server 10 to client 20, whereby the document that the user wants toupdate is displayed on display unit 23 as shown in FIG. 7. Thenmodifying it on display unit 23 and pushing the

(“verify/update”) button at the lower right in FIG. 7, the user can sendthe updated document to server 10.

FIG. 8 (b) is an example of the received-tagged text that is the updateddocument sent from client 20 to server 10. The text attached with sometags, such as img alt=”xsl

(“conversion by xsl”), is sent from client 20 to server 10.

Conventionally, it has been necessary for updating XML data to sendclient 20 data management information composing XML data, and variouselements, attributes and attribute values needed to define “data”. Onthe other hand, in this embodiment, it becomes possible to send data forupdates by attaching some tags to both the text and identifier of thenode to update in XML data. In addition, a view displayed on client 20can be displayed by general web browser software, such as InternetExplore, and a user can freely update the data of the text by inputmeans 21.

FIG. 9 is a block configuration diagram of client 20. Sending/receivingmeans 24 receives a sent-tagged text and JavaScript (registeredtrademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) sent from server 10. Sent-taggedtext 26 received by the client is converted to XHTML by JavaScript(registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) 25, which enables auser to modify it by display/input means 21.

In FIG. 2, compatibility checking means 15 (XML Schema) determineswhether the received-tagged text sent from client 20 is compatible withthe structured data (XML data) on server 10. If not compatible, server10 notifies client 20 of the incompatibility. If compatible, update dataextracting/storing/structuring means 14 (Java (registered trademark ofSun Microsystems, Inc.) Program) once converts the received-tagged textto Java (a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Object 17,and then updates it as XML data 16-1 in storage device 16.

FIG. 10 illustrates the way of combining “% Block” under a section intoone <body></body> tag when client 20 requests several pieces of databody information. In FIG. 10, % Block requested from a client to browseis % Block equivalent to section id=0. These two “% Block”s areautomatically inserted between <body></body>, and once created as aXHTML document by update data extracting/storing/structuring means 14(Java (a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Program). Andthen, it is created as a sent-tagged text by being removed unnecessarytags, and sent to client 20.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart for updating the XML data on server 10 by client20, which explained above. A user who logins to server 10 (S1) chooseseither to create new data or update (modify) existing data (S2). Ifcreating new data, choose a desired form from among provided samples(S3). There are five types of forms (Default, One form, Table, List andImage) shown here as an example. If modifying existing data, input ID tochoose XML data for updates (S4).

A sent-tagged text or new form is sent from server 10 (S5). A (to-be-)received-tagged text is automatically generated (S7) by inputting thenew form or modifying data required to update. When creation ormodification of data is completed, the received-tagged text is sent tothe server (S8).

Server 10 receives the received-tagged text and determines thecompatibility of the text with its stored XML data. If incompatible, theserver notifies client 20 of it (S11). If compatible, the serverconverts it to Java (registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.)Object, and update the XML data (S12).

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention can be used as a data management system to sharedata on a server in a system where a server and a client/clients areinterconnected through the Internet or a local area network. Especially,the present invention can be used as a system for managing and providinga wide variety and enormous amount of administrativedocuments/information.

1. A data structure stored on a server and updated by a client connecting to the server through a network, said data structure being hierarchized into at least data management information and data information, both attached with unique identifiers, said data information being further hierarchized into at least a plurality of blocks attached with unique identifiers, and each of the blocks including data body information written in a language displayable by a web browser.
 2. The data structure of claim 1, being written in XML.
 3. The data structure of claim 1, wherein said data body information is written in HTML or XHTML.
 4. The data structure of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said data information is hierarchized into at least a plurality of sections attached with unique identifiers, and the blocks are arranged under the respective sections.
 5. A structured data management system including a server having hierarchically structured data and a client connecting to the server through a network and updating the structured data on said server, wherein said structured data are hierarchized into at least data management information and data information, said data information includes a plurality of data body information pieces each of which is attached with a unique identifier, said client has means for making a request to update a data body information piece based on the unique identifier, said server has means for, in response to the request, sending a text within the data body information piece and predefined tags attached to the text, and said client has: means for receiving the text with the predefined tags sent from said server (hereinafter referred to as “sent-tagged text”), displaying the text, and accepting updates; and means for, when the text is updated, sending data of the text attached with the predefined tags (hereinafter referred to as “received-tagged text”).
 6. The structured data management system of claim 5, wherein said server further has means for, upon receiving the request from said client to update the plurality of data body information pieces based on respective identifiers, combining texts within the data body information pieces into the sent-tagged text and sending the sent-tagged text to said client.
 7. The structured data management system of claim 5, wherein said server has: means for determining whether or not the received-tagged text is compatible with the structured data stored on the server; and means for, if the received-tagged text is not compatible, notifying said client of incompatibility and, if the received-tagged text is compatible, updating the data body information piece by the received-tagged text.
 8. The structured data management system of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the structured data are written in XML.
 9. The structured data management system of claim 5, wherein displaying of the text utilizes a web browser.
 10. A structured data management method in a system where a server having structured data and a client updating the structured data on the server are interconnected through a network, comprising: hierarchizing the structured data into at least data management information and data information; dividing the data information into a plurality of data body information pieces and assigning each of the data body information pieces with a unique identifier; allowing said client to make a request to update a data body information piece based on the unique identifier, allowing said server, upon receiving the request, to send a text within the data body information piece with predefined tags attached to the text; allowing said client to receive the text attached with the predefined tags sent from the server (hereinafter referred to as “sent-tagged text”), display the text within the sent-tagged text on a display device and accept updates, and when the text is updated, to send data of the text updated with the predefined tags to the server (hereinafter referred to as “received-tagged text”); and allowing said server to update said data body information piece by the received-tagged text.
 11. The structured data management method of claim 10, further comprising allowing said server to determine whether or not the received-tagged text is compatible with the structured data and, if the received-tagged text is compatible, to update the data body information piece by the received tagged text, and if the received-tagged text is not compatible, notify the client of incompatibility.
 12. The structured data management method of claim 10 or 11, further comprising, when the request from the client is to update the plurality of data body information pieces, allowing the server to combine texts within the data body information pieces into one text and send the text as the sent-tagged text.
 13. The structured data management method of claim 10, further comprising allowing said client to receive the sent-tagged text, display the text, and accept input for updates through a web browser.
 14. A structured data management program allowing a server for managing hierarchical structured data to function as: means for hierarchizing said structured data stored on the server into at least data management information and data information; means for assigning unique identifiers to data body information pieces composing said data information; means for accepting a request from a client interconnected through a network to update one of the data body information piece based on a corresponding unique identifier; and means for attaching predefined tags to the text within the data body information and sending the text to the client in response to the request.
 15. The structured data management program allowing a client interconnected with a server through a network to function as: means for receiving a text attached with predefined tags and sent from the server (hereinafter referred to as “sent-tagged text”); means for receiving the sent-tagged text, displaying the text within the sent-tagged text and accepting updates; and means for sending the text updated and attached with the predefined tags to the server (hereinafter referred to as “received-tagged text”).
 16. The structured data management program of claim 14, allowing said server to function as means for, on request from said client to update the data body information pieces based on the identifiers, combining texts within the data body information pieces into one text, and sending the text to said client as a sent-tagged text.
 17. The structured data management program of claim 14, allowing said server to function as: means for receiving a received tagged text and determining whether or not the received tagged text is compatible with the structured data; and means for, if the received tagged text is not compatible, notifying said client of incompatibility and, if the received tagged text is compatible, updating the data body information pieces by said received-tagged text. 